BBC ON THIS DAY | 2 | 1953: Queen Elizabeth takes coronation oath 1953: Queen Elizabeth takes coronation oath Queen Elizabeth II has been crowned at a coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in London. In front of more than 8,000 guests, including prime ministers and heads of state from around the Commonwealth, she took the Coronation Oath and is now bound to serve her people and to maintain the laws of God. After being handed the four symbols of authority - the orb, the sceptre, the rod of mercy and the royal ring of sapphire and rubies - the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, placed St Edward's Crown on her head to complete the ceremony. A shout of "God Save the Queen" was heard and gun salutes were fired as crowds cheered. The Archbishop and fellow bishops then paid homage to Queen Elizabeth II. In a radio broadcast the Queen said: "Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust". An estimated three million people lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the new monarch as she made her way to and from Buckingham Palace in the golden state coach.

The ceremony was watched by millions more around the world as the BBC set up their biggest ever outside broadcast to provide live coverage of the event on radio and television. Street parties were held throughout the UK as people crowded round television sets to watch the ceremony. Fireworks The crowds, some of whom had camped out overnight to ensure a prime position, were rewarded when the Queen and other members of her family, including the Queen Mother, appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Despite the overcast weather conditions the RAF marked the occasion with a fly past down the Mall. A fireworks display then lit up the skies above Victoria Embankment. The Queen replaced her father, King George VI, as monarch following his death on 6 February 1952. After 16 years on the throne he passed away in his sleep and his 25-year-old daughter Elizabeth immediately became Queen. The princess formally proclaimed herself Queen and Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith in February 1952 but the amount of planning and a wish for a sunny day for the occasion led to the long but excited wait for this day. In Context Over 20 million people watched the BBC coverage of the coronation.

Many people crowded round neighbours' sets to watch television for the first time. The broadcast was made in 44 languages. <br> There was a shortage of professional coachmen to help transport dignitaries to Westminster Abbey in horse drawn carriages. Millionaire businessmen and country squires offered their services and on the day they dressed up as Buckingham Palace servants and helped take people to the ceremony. <br> Many commemorative souvenirs were produced to mark the occasion including a special set of four postage stamps. <br> In 2002 the Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee. She marked her 50 years on the throne with a mammoth tour of the Commonwealth and UK where millions turned out to celebrate during the Jubilee weekend. <br> The highlight of the weekend was the 'Party at the Palace' where stars from Ozzy Osbourne and Sir Paul McCartney to S Club 7 and Blue joined forces to entertain the crowds at Buckingham Palace. <br> Archbishops of Canterbury Archbishops of Canterbury By Ben Johnson | Comments In the Christian church, an archbishop is a bishop of superior rank who has authority over other bishops in an ecclesiastic province or area.

The Church of England is presided over by two archbishops: the archbishop of Canterbury, who is 'primate of All England', and the archbishop of York, who is 'primate of England'. In the time of St. Augustine, around the 5th century it was intended that England would be divided into two provinces with two archbishops, one at London and one at York . Canterbury gained supremacy just prior to the Reformation in the 16th century, when it exercised the powers of papal legate throughout England. It is the Archbishop of Canterbury who has the privilege of crowning the kings and queens of England and ranks immediately after the princes of royal blood. The Archbishop's official residence is at Lambeth Palace, London, and second residence at the Old Palace, Canterbury. The first Archbishop of Canterbury was Augustine. Originally prior to the Benedictine monastery of St. Andrew in Rome, he was sent to England by Pope Gregory I with the mission to convert the natives to Roman Christianity. Landing in Ebbesfleet, Kent in 597 Augustine quickly converted his first native when he baptized Ethelbert, King of Kent along with many of his subjects.

He was consecrated Bishop of the English at Arles that same year and appointed archbishop in 601, establishing his seat at Canterbury. In 603 he attempted unsuccessfully to unite the Roman and native Celtic churches at a conference on the Severn. The following list traces the Archbishops from the time of Augustine through the Reformation, up to the present day. Their influence on the history of England and the English people is apparent for all to see. Archbishops of Canterbury 604 Laurentius. Nominated by St. Augustine as his successor. Had a rocky ride when King Ethelbert of Kent was succeeded by his pagan son Eadbald. Remaining calm Laurentius eventually converted Eadbald to Christianity, thus preserving the Roman mission in England. 627 Honorius. The last of the group of Roman missionaries who had accompanied St. Augustine to England. 668 Theodore (of Tarsus). The Greek theologian was already in his sixties when he was sent to England by Pope Vitalian to assume the role of archbishop. Despite his age he went on to reorganise the English Church creating the diocesan structure, uniting for the first time the people of England.

693 Berhtwald. The first archbishop of English birth. Worked with King Wihtred of Kent to develop the laws of the land. Cuthbert. Established England as an important base from which Anglo-Saxon missionaries were despatched abroad. 765 Jaenberht. Backed the wrong horse in the King of Kent against King Offa of Mercia. He saw the importance of Canterbury reduce as power shifted to Offa's cathedral in Lichfield. 793 Ethelheard, St. Originally chosen by King Offa of Mercia, to make Lichfield into the premier archbishopric in England. Ethelheard appears to have messed things up a little in the politics of the day, and unwittingly succeeded in reinstating Canterbury's traditional superiority. 805 Wulfred. As with his predecessors Wulfred's rule was frequently disrupted by disputes with the kings of Mercia and was at one stage exiled by King Cenwulf. 833 Ceolnoth. Maintained Canterbury's superiority within the Church of England by forming close relationships with the rising power of the Kings of Wessex, and abandoning the pro-Mercian policies of Feologeld.

890 Plegmund. Appointed Archbishop by Alfred the Great. Plegmund played an influential role in the reigns of both Alfred and Edward the Elder. He was involved in early efforts to convert the Danelaw to Christianity. 942 Oda. Oda's career serves to demonstrate the integration of Scandinavians into English society. The son of a pagan who came to England with the Viking 'Great Army', Oda organised the reintroduction of a bishopric into the Scandinavian settlements of East Anglia. 960 Dunstan. He was originally Abbot of Glastonbury from 945, and made it a centre of learning. He was King Edred's chief advisor and virtually became the kingdom's ruler. Following the death of Edred in 955, his nephew King Edwy drove Dunstan into exile for refusing to authorize his proposed marriage with Ælfgifu. After Edwy's death in 959, Dunstan became Archbishop of Canterbury from 960. He is said to have pulled the devil's nose with a pair of tongs. His feast day is 19th May. 990 Sigeric.

In the reign of Ethelred II the Unready, Sigeric was promoted from humble monk to the top job of archbishop. He is associated with the policy of paying Danegeld in an attempt to buy off Scandanavian attacks. 1005 Alphege. In 1012, he was captured by the Danes who had invaded Kent, and was held at Greenwich. He refused to pay his own ransom, and, during a drunken feast at which the Danes threw left-over bones and skulls at Alphege, he was murdered by a Dane whom he had converted to Christianity earlier in the day., The Danish leader, Thorkill, was disgusted by the murder and changed sides, bringing 45 ships to Æthelred 's service. In 1033, Canute moved Alphege's bones from St Paul's Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral. 1020 Ethelnoth. One of the most distinguished of the Anglo-Saxon archbishops. The first monk of the Canterbury monastery to be elected archbishop. 1051 Robert of Jumieges.

One of a small number of Normans who came to England with Edward the Confessor in 1041. His scheming and elevation to archbishop fuelled a civil war between Edward and Earl Godwine of Wessex. Robert was also the ambassador who promised the succession to Duke William (The Conqueror) of Normandy. 1052 Stigand. Became archbishop after the expulsion of Robert of Jumieges, as such he was never recognised by the church in Rome. A worldly and very wealthy man he was at first accepted by William I The Conqueror, but in 1070 was deposed by Papal Legate. 1070 Lanfranc. A native of Italy, he left home around 1030 to pursue his studies in France. He was responsible for presenting the case to the Pope for William of Normandy's claim to the English crown. It was William I The Conqueror who appointed him archbishop in 1070. Lanfranc was responsible for reforming and reorganising the English Church and rebuilt the Cathedral on the model of St Stephen's in Caen where he had previously been Abbot.

1093 Anselm. Another Italian who had left home in search of better things and had found Lefranc as Prior at the Norman Abbey of Bec. He followed in Lefranc's footsteps first as Prior and then as Archbishop. His strongly held views on the Church-State relationship would greatly influence Thomas a Becket and continue to rumble on for centuries ensuring a greater control of the Church from Rome. 1139 Theobald. Yet another monk from the Norman Abbey of Bec. He was created Archbishop by Stephen. The relationship between the King and Archbishop strained over the years culminating in Theobald refusing to crown Stephen's son Eustace. He drew Thomas a Becket into his service Thomas a Becket . Worked as a banker's clerk before entering the service of Archbishop Theobald of Canterbury in 1145. He was a close friend of Henry II and was Chancellor from 1152 until 1162, when he was elected archbishop. He then changed his allegiance to the church, alienating Henry.

In 1164, he opposed Henry's attempt to control the relations between church and state – preferring the clergy to be judged by the church and not by the state – and fled to France. There was a reconciliation between Henry and Becket and he returned in 1170, but the reconciliation soon broke down. After an outburst from the king, four knights – probably misunderstanding Henry's instructions – murdered Becket in front of the altar of Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170. He was canonised – as St Thomas Becket – in 1172, and his shrine became the most popular destination of pilgrimage in England until the Reformation. His feast day is 29th December. 1184 Baldwin. Despite being described as gentle and guileless, he did take action when needed, galloping up and saving Gilbert of Plumpton from the gallows, forbidding such hangman's work on a Sunday. Also saw action in the Crusades, he died five weeks after his 200 knights had fought at Acre. 1193 Hubert Walter. Rector of Halifax in 1185.

He travelled to the Holy Land with Richard the Lion-Heart on the Third Crusade 1190 and, when Richard was taken prisoner by emperor Henry VI, Walter brought the army back to England and raised a ransom of 100,000 marks for the king's release. He was Dean of York from 1186 to 1189, then Bishop of Salisbury, and he became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1193. On Richard's death in 1199, he was appointed Chancellor 1207 Stephen Langton. He was consecrated archbishop by Pope Innocent III, which annoyed King John so much that he refused to admit him into England. The quarrel between King and Pope lasted until John submitted in 1213. Once in England he proved to be an important mediator playing a key role in negotiating Magna Carta . 1375 Simon Sudbury. He was blamed for government mismanagement and unjust taxation which led to the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, led by Wat Tyler . The 'revolting' rebels dragged him from the Tower of London and beheaded him.

His mummified head is displayed in the vestry of St. Gregory's church in Sudbury, Suffolk. 1381 William Courtenay. He led the opposition within the English Church to John Wyclif, dubbed by some to be 'the morning star of the Reformation', and the Lollards, and was influential in driving them out of Oxford. 1396 Thomas Arundel. The combination of his high aristocratic birth and driving ambition made him one of the most powerful men in England. His political connections led first to his banishment by Richard II in 1397, and then to his restoration by Henry IV two years later. 1414 Henry Chichele. He helped to finance the war against France, organised the fight against Lollardy and founded All Souls College in Oxford. 1443 John Stafford. It was said of him if he had done little good he had done no harm. 1452 John Kempe. Initially Henry V's Keeper of the Privy Seal and Chancellor in Normandy, he also served two terms as Chancellor of England.

Before becoming Archbishop of Canterbury he was Bishop of; Rochester (1419-21), Chichester (1421), London (1421-5) and York (1425-52). 1454 Thomas Bourchier. Also served as Chancellor of England from 1455 to 1456, during an illness of Henry VI and while Richard of York was Protector. 1486 John Morton. Originally an Oxford-trained lawyer he fled to Flanders, to the court of Henry Tudor, after Richard III attempted to imprison him in 1483. Henry VII summoned him home after his victory at Bosworth in 1485 and made him archbishop. After this he applied much of his energy to financial matters of state giving his name to the 'Morton's fork' principle of tax assessment: ostentation is proof of wealth - stricken appearance is proof of hidden savings. 1503 William Warham. He expressed doubts as to the wisdom of Henry VIII marrying Catherine of Aragon, the widow of Prince Arthur, but presided at their coronation.

He did nothing to help Catherine against Henry's efforts to have their marriage declared null, but was less than happy with the increasingly anti-papal royal policy adopted after 1530. The martyrdom of Thomas Cranmer, from an old edition of Foxe's Book of Martyrs Archbishops of Canterbury since the Reformation 1533 Thomas Cranmer. Compiled the first English Book of Common Prayer. First Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1551, his 42 Articles laid down the basis of Anglican Protestantism. Burned at the stake for heresy and treason in opposing Bloody Mary. His feast day is 16th October. 1556 Reginald Pole. Returned from a self imposed exile in Italy following the accession of his Catholic cousin Queen Mary I. He died within a few hours of her in November 1558. 1559 Mathew Parker. He was apparently surprised when Elizabeth I decided that her mother's (Anne Boleyn) old chaplain would make an ideal Archbishop of Canterbury. Presided over the very difficult opening years of the new religious settlement. 1576 Edmund Grindal.

He had been exiled under Queen Mary I because of his Protestant beliefs and was therefore the obvious choice for the top job in the Church of Elizabeth I. His defiance of her wishes in 1577 however, led to his suspension under house arrest. He failed to recovered favour by the time of his death. 1583 John Whitgift. A former Cambridge don, he first attracted the attention of Elizabeth I by his strict disciplining of the non-conforming Puritans. Yet another archbishop who annoyed the lady, with the thought that a clergyman should attempt to decide theology for her Church. 1604 Richard Bancroft. Was born and intially educated in Farnworth, near modern day Widnes, he graduated from Cambridge and was ordained around 1570. Whilst still Bishop of London, he drafted the rules for the translation of what would eventually become the 'most popular book in the world' ... The King James Bible . 1611 George Abbot. He found favour under James I, his reputation as a churchman however was dented when he accidentally killed a gamekeeper whilst out hunting with a crossbow. 1633 William Laud.

His High Church policy, support for Charles I, censorship of the press, and persecution of the Puritans aroused bitter opposition. He was responsible for moving the altar from a its central position to the east end of churches. His attempt to impose the Prayer Book in Scotland precipitated the Civil War. He was impeached by the Long Parliament in 1640, imprisoned in the Tower of London, condemned to death, and beheaded. 1660 William Juxon. A friend of William Laud, he had attended Charles I at his execution in 1649 and spent the years until the restoration of Charles II in retirement. His appointment as archbishop in 1660 being a reward for loyal royal service. 1663 Gilbert Sheldon. Another former advisor to Charles I, he attempted to unite the thinking of the Anglican and Presbyterian branches of the Church. 1678 William Sancroft. Following an unsuccessful attempt to convert King James II to Anglicanism, he and the king fell out. He openly and publicly defied royal orders to accept the King's Declaration of Indulgence for Dissenters and Catholics.

A man of integrity it appears, as he played no part in Glorious Revolution and argued that the oath he had taken to James precluded him taking another to William III and Mary II. 1691 John Tillotson. He succeeded Sancroft as archbishop, having carried out the duties of the office since 1689 when Sancroft had refused to take the oaths that recognised William and Mary as rightful monarchs. William of Orange 1695 Thomas Tenison. A 'friend' of those who invited William of Orange to England in 1688. He warned about the threat to Anglicanism from a Stuart restoration. 1716 William Wake. He attempted to persuade the French Gallican Church to break with Rome and ally itself with the Church of England. In later life he gained a reputation for corruption, appointing members of his family to financially lucrative positions within the Church. Frederick Temple. Followed the well worn path from Oxford to Rugby to Canterbury. 1903 Randall Thomas Davidson. Born in Edinburgh into a Presbyterian family, he studied at Oxford, and became chaplain to Archbishop Tait (his father-in-law) and also to Queen Victoria .

1928 Cosmo Gordon Lang. Born in Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, he was Principal of Aberdeen University and entered the Church of England in 1890. He was both counsellor and friend to the royal family. 1942 William Temple. The son of Frederick Temple he deviated the well worn path from Oxford to Canterbury via Repton. He was an outspoken supporter of social reform in crusades against money lenders, slums and dishonesty. 1945 Geoffrey Francis Fisher. He also followed the now deeply rutted path from Oxford to Repton to Canterbury. As archbishop he crowned Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey in 1953. 1961 Arthur Michael Ramsey. Educated at Repton, where his headmaster was the man he would succeed as archbishop - Geoffrey Fisher, he worked for Church unity with an historic visit to the Vatican in 1966. He also attempted to forge a reconciliation with the Methodist Church. From the Monitor Archives: Elizabeth II is crowned queen - CSMonitor.com From the Monitor Archives: Elizabeth II is crowned queen Latest News Wednesday the queen became Britain's longest reigning monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria.

The Monitor was there when she was coronated amid much pomp and circumstance in June 1953. By Carlyle Morgan, Chief of the London News Bureau September 9, 2015 Save for later Saved Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, seated on the throne, receives the fealty of the Archbishop of Canterbury, centre with back to camera, the Bishop of Durham, left and the Bishop of Bath and Wells, during her Coronation in Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953. AP/File View Caption of Westminster Abbey, England — Queen Elizabeth II set the record on Wednesday for Britain's longest ruling monarch , surpassing her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria's 63 years, 7 months, and 2 days. Elizabeth has been England's monarch since the death of her father, George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952, but she was not officially crowned until more than a year later, on June 2, 1953. Below is the front page article from the June 2, 1953, edition of The Christian Science Monitor, recounting her coronation.

Britain Crowns Queen in Dazzling Ceremony In Westminster Abbey Recommended: Royals, autocrats, or just plain popular? A quiz on world leader longevity WESTMINSTER ABBEY, ENGLAND – "God save the Queen!" Britain and fellow nations of the Commonwealth, in a historic and dazzling ceremony in Westminster Abbey, have crowned Queen Elizabeth II. They have done so under the Abbey’s soaring Gothic vaults against a background of ancient stonework partly overlaid with rich damasks and carpets of blue and gold. They have done so on a June day mostly cold and rainy but with moments when sunshine flooded into the Abbey transepts through the great high diamond-paned windows. They have done so in a ceremony whose heart is the Christian tradition but which binds together hundreds of millions of people of innumerable religious persuasions. A ceremony of changing mood and pace, now surging to the blare of trumpets and throb of drums, now flowing like a deep, broad river to the grand sonorities of organ, orchestra, and 400-voice choir. A ceremony mingling sudden roars of recognition of the sovereign with the careful modulations of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Majestic Climax A humbling ceremony – even, and perhaps mostly, as it touched the Queen herself, impersonal in its demands on loyalty and devotion, yet with one touch of humanity that made all its witnesses kin as the Duke of Edinburgh kissed the cheek of his wife the Queen when pledging fealty to Her Majesty after the enthroning. A ceremony rising to a majestic climax of sound and movement as the Queen in procession passed through the Coronation theater while choir, orchestra, organ, trumpeters, and vast assemblage made the Abbey rock with the British national anthem. So it is done. But it is not finished. Developing Unity The portent of this Coronation far outshines its antique splendors. This Coronation bespeaks a continuing, developing unity – though not uniformity – among eight fully self-governing nations along with others partly self-governing. This unity embraces colonies and protectorates, all moving gradually toward self-rule within a globe-circling design of common interest and mutual defense.

In the Abbey, in the streets, beside living-room television sets or jungle radios, Commonwealth peoples have listened and watched while the slight figure of Elizabeth Windsor moved composedly through 2 1/2 hours of the Coronation's ceremonial maze. Questioned, answering, pledging, praying, before the brilliant concourse of princes and peers of Britain, Commonwealth prime ministers, princes, ambassadors, officials and notables from more than 90 nations all over the world – numbering some 7,600 persons. Crown Placed on Head The supreme moment in the Coronation service came when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, took the heavy Coronation crown – which the Dean of Westminster had brought from the altar – and placed it reverently on Queen Elizabeth's head. "At the sight whereof, the people, with loud and repeated shouts," hailed their sovereign. Immediately the princes and princesses, peers, and peeresses, who had been witnessing this act bare-headed, put on their coronets and caps. A fanfare of trumpets hurled veritable broadsides of sound against the reverberating Abbey walls. And far away in the Tower of London, booming guns proclaimed the crowning.

Long Wait Much of the highly distinguished audience had been waiting in the Abbey for some hours before the Queen arrived, though it was early morning when guests began to take their seats, nearly all were either in ceremonial or full evening dress – the women in resplendent gowns, the men in official or court dress or "white tie and tails.” While waiting, many had remarked on the British conquest of Mt. Everest, news of which had come just in time to give the extra note of inspiring achievement on this already great day. Page 1 of the June 2, 1953, edition of the Monitor. The story about Queen Elizabeth's coronation appears on the right. The Christian Science Monitor, ProQuest The wait for the Queen was broken at intervals of 10 minutes to half an hour by arrivals of eight separate processions. First to enter the Abbey annex specially built for this Coronation was the Lord Mayor’s procession from the Mansion House. Ten minutes later at nearly 9 o’clock, some members of the Royal Family arrived by car, followed almost immediately by royal and other representatives of foreign states in hundreds.

Colorful Splendor Another half hour brought new colors to the already dazzling scene with procession of the Queen of Tonga – from the Friendly Islands in the South Pacific – and the Sultans of Zanzibar [now part of modern Tanzania], Johore, Selangor, Kalantan, Perak [all four now states in Malaysia], Brunei, and Lahej [now part of southern Yemen]. Then followed within a few minutes 10 prime ministers of Commonwealth countries. And even more impressive than usual among them appeared the Queen's new Knight of the Garter, Sir Winston Churchill in the rich robes and insignia of that select order. After that seemed the longest pause of all – though it was a minute or so shorter than some earlier ones – the procession of the Queen herself. Now came a moment of acute suspense. The cyclops eyes of television cameras stared more expectantly. The excited buzz of thousands of conversations tailed off swiftly to a whisper, like the strings in an orchestra under imperious command from the conductor. Queen Enters Abbey Then — a lightning flash of sound from the trumpets.

The Queen was here, entering in procession by the west door of the Abbey, robed in crimson and supported on either hand by the bishops of Durham and of Bath and Wells. The procession moved through the nave of the Abbey while choristers sang that anthem familiar to British sovereigns since Stuart times: “I was glad when they said unto me, We will go into the house of the Lord.” Waiting to greet Her Majesty in the choir stood the Queen’s Scholars of Westminster School. “Vivat Regina Elizabeths! Vivat, Vivat, Vivat!” their chant rang out as she passed, her train borne, as was Queen Victoria’s at the Coronation in 1838, by titled maids of honor instead of pages. Prepares for Oath On the broad, gold-carpeted platform in the "theater" or central space of the Abbey, she passed the Throne, paused in “humble adoration,” then knelt at the faldstool, or prayer stool, before a second chair – her chair of state – for brief private prayers.

Soon she would be seated in this chair to take the oath – a solemn promise to govern the peoples of Britain, the Commonwealth, and other possessions and territories “according to their respective laws and customs.” Then in yet a third chair, that of King Edward I with the Stone of Scone or Scottish Coronation stone in its base, she would be crowned. Meanwhile a slow-moving but ever-shifting kaleidoscope sorted and resorted colors and patterns and even sounds continuously for delighted spectators in the Abbey. Splendidly robed and mitered bishops brought Bible, paten, and chalice to the altar. Lords in red robes and ermine capes who had carried the regalia of two crowns, scepter, royal orb, and other insignia in the procession, now presented them to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who delivered them to the Dean of Westminster, who placed them on the altar. Bible Presented After the recognition came the oath, and then the presentation of the Holy Bible. In previous ceremonies, this has taken place just after the crowning, but the order of service was changed this year to provide a better sequence of thought, action, and prayer.

Under another change, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland took part with the Archbishop of Canterbury in presenting the Bible to the Queen, having received it from the Dean of Westminster, and saying “Here is wisdom; this is the royal law: these are the lively oracles of God.” Thus to the crowning itself. Then from King Edward’s chair the Queen proceeded to the throne to be “lifted up” into it by the Archbishop and bishops and peers while other nobles gathered about its steps. Ceremony Ends After the homage and communion, the Queen withdrew into St. Edward’s Chapel to be divested of the Robe Royal and arrayed in her robe of purple velvet. Wearing now the lighter imperial crown in place of the heavy St. Edward’s Crown, and carrying scepter and cross and orb, the Queen proceeded in state back to the Abbey's west door. So ended a ceremony which has set up a milestone on the road of Commonwealth evolution. Queen Elizabeth II is the first British sovereign to be crowned “head of the Commonwealth” as well as Queen in most of its parts, a title under which republics can join with monarchial governments in Commonwealth membership.

Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Daily June 2, 1953: Millions watch on TV as Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey - BT June 2, 1953: Millions watch on TV as Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey Ancient and modern worlds collided when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in a 1,000-year-old ceremony as millions watched on their new television sets. Share this Print this story Swearing an oath to uphold the laws of her nations and to govern the Church of England, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned on this day in 1953. The solemn coronation ceremony was conducted by Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury, and its order of service descended directly from the ceremony which saw King Edgar crowned in Bath in 973. But the dawn of the new Elizabethan age spoke more of the future than the past. The advent of air travel filled Westminster Abbey with representatives from all points of the compass. A total of 8,251 guests attended the ceremony, with status and strong bladders presumably the only perquisites: the service began at 11.15am in the morning and lasted almost three hours.

The coronation was also the world's first major international event to be broadcast on television. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had been against the idea, arguing that such a sacrosanct occasion would be tainted by the presence of cameras. But his 27-year-old monarch rejected his reasoning, insisting that her subjects should have the right to observe the ceremony. Sales of televisions soared and street parties were held throughout the UK as people crowded round sets to watch events unfold. An estimated 27 million people in Britain are said to have watched the ceremony - an impressive figure considering Britain's population at the time was just over 36 million. Some even watched it in colour. And so it was that three shouts of "God save the Queen!" rang out across the entire kingdom at the exact moment the Archbishop of Canterbury placed St Edward's Crown on the young monarch's head. And as formalities made way for celebrations, news filtered through that the British expedition to conquer Mount Everest had met with success. It was more than a coronation gift for the new Queen - it was the icing on the cake. For a transitory moment, the Commonwealth's future under Queen Elizabeth II looked impossibly bright. Do you remember watching the Queen's coronation?

Share your memories in the Comments section below. Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II - Did you know? The Queen's coronation dress was designed by Norman Hartnell. The silk dress was embroidered with the floral emblems of the countries of the Commonwealth. These included the Tudor rose of England, the Scots thistle, the Welsh leek, the wattle of Australia, South Africa's protea and lotus flowers for India and Ceylon. A 'lucky' four-leaf shamrock - representing Northern Ireland - was embroidered on the left flank of the dress, within touching distance of Her Majesty's hand. The ornate fringe of the coronation dress caught in the lush pile of the carpet laid out in Westminster Abbey, presented the Queen with an unforeseen hitch. She turned to the Archbishop of Canterbury for help. "Get me started," she is reputed to have whispered. Elizabeth became Queen on the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952. Her coronation was delayed for more than a year because such a festival was deemed inappropriate during the period of mourning that followed the death of the preceding sovereign.

Although she died before the Coronation took place, Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary was the first queen to see a grandchild ascend to the throne. At the other end of the age scale, Prince Charles created history by becoming the first child to witness his mother's coronation. He received a special hand-painted children's invitation to the ceremony. With a shortage of professional coachmen to help transport dignitaries to Westminster Abbey, wealthy businessmen and country squires were kitted out as royal servants and helped ferry guest to the ceremony in their own vehicles. In order to become accustomed to its feel and weight of the Imperial State Crown, the Queen is said to have spent hours wearing the ornate headpiece as she went about her daily business. So that Canadians could watch the ceremony on Coronation Day itself, the RAF ferried film across the Atlantic, making three trips to Labrador as the events of the day played out. These were the first non-stop flights between the United Kingdom and the Canadian mainland. Despite the live television coverage, one part of the ceremony - the anointment - was deemed to be absolutely sacrosanct and duly off-limits to cameras.

So, as the Archbishop of Canterbury made a cross on the Queen's forehead with holy oil, a silk canopy was held around the Queen by four Knights of the Garter. Tradition dictates that the same measure of anointing oil is used at successive coronations. But a Nazi bomb hit the deanery of Westminster Abbey in 1941, destroying the phial containing the anointing oil. The pharmacy that had mixed the previous batch had gone out of business, but palace officials managed to track down the recipe and new batch had was made up. The concoction contains the oils of orange, roses, cinnamon, musk and ambergris. Guests at the coronation luncheon at Buckingham Palace were treated to cold chicken in a creamy, curry sauce. The new recipe was dreamed up by Constance Spry, who also helped with floral arrangements on the day, and has since come to be known as Coronation Chicken. One notable personality watched the ceremony from the cheap seats. Jacqueline Bouvier, who covered the event for the Washington Times-Herald, went on to become the First Lady of the United States of America as Jackie Kennedy.

Canadian soldiers serving in the Korean War are said to have acknowledged the day by firing red, white and blue smoke shells at enemy positions. Quite what the Koreans made of this is, sadly, lost in the mists of time. Share this Coronation Special: Crowning glory - 60 fascinating facts | Royal | News | Daily Express ROYAL Coronation Special: Crowning glory - 60 fascinating facts TO celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953 - 60 years ago next week - we reveal 60 fascinating facts. 15:48, Sun, May 26, 2013 Queen Elizabeth II leaves Buckhingham Palace for Westminster Abbey 1 Since William the conqueror ascended the throne on christmas Day 1066, every king and queen of England and the United Kingdom has been crowned at Westminster Abbey. Her Majesty is the 39th sovereign to take the oath there, though only the sixth queen. 2 Princess Elizabeth became the sovereign on February 6 the previous year, following the death of her father, King George VI. Queen Elizabeth II, then aged 25, was in Kenya on a commonwealth tour.

First to be told of the King's death was the Duke of Edinburgh, who took Elizabeth for a walk to break the news that she was now Queen. 3 The Coronation ceremony is an ancient one, little has changed for 1,000 years. Many aspects of the service used for Queen Elizabeth II would have been familiar to the Anglo-Saxon King Edgar, crowned in 973. 4 The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth was intended to be more than just a royal occasion: it was to be a beacon of hope to the whole country in a time of post-war austerity. the man charged with making it a success was the Earl Marshal and 16th Duke of Norfolk, Bernard Fitzalan-Howard (1908-1975). A former soldier who had been wounded in the Second World War, he also organised the state funeral of Sir Winston C t o Churchill in 1965, as well as the investiture of The Prince of Wales four years later. 5 The Queen's Coronation dress was created by the Royal Family's favourite couturier, Norman Hartnell.

Made of white satin, it featured national floral symbols from across the Commonwealth, including the English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh leek, Irish shamrock, Canadian maple leaf, Australian wattle, New Zealand silver fern and South African protea. 6 The dress took eight months to design and 6 make, including many hours of embroidery. It had short sleeves with a full skirt and a fitted bodice, cut square over the shoulders and curving into a heart-shaped centre. 7 The Queen's bouquet, a gift from the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, was symbolic of the United Kingdom, with lilies of the valley from England, stephanotis from Scotland, carnations from Northern Ireland and orchids from Wales. 8 The Queen's maids of honour were chosen from the highest echelon of British society, though not all of them had actually met Her Majesty. The six fortunate ladies were Lady Moyra Hamilton, Lady Anne Coke, Lady Jane Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lady Mary Baillie-Hamilton, Lady Nancy Jane Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby and Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill.

They rehearsed their roles under the watchful eye of the Duke of Norfolk, with the Duchess playing the Queen, wearing a linen train. 9 The maids of honour, also dressed by Hartnell, were asked to wear a single string of pearls and simple pearl stud earrings. The heels of their shoes were adjusted so all six appeared of similar height. 10 On Coronation Day, only the weather failed to match the celebratory mood. In London and across most of the UK, Tuesday June 2 dawned dull, wet and cold. The temperature never rose above 12ºC (54ºF) all day - several degrees colder than the Queen's wedding day in November, six years before. 11 Unseasonal weather was no match for the patriotic fervour of the London crowd, estimated at three million. Families from all over Britain camped on the streets overnight to secure their views of the royal procession. Others came from further afield, one family sailing their own boat from Australia. 12 Funds were short in post-war Britain but the Government allocated £1.5 million (about £36 million in today's money) for the decoration of London.

Four giant steel arches were erected in The Mall, linked by long lines of royal standards and illuminated at night. 13 Summoning her maids of honour with a jaunty "Shall we go, girls?", Her Majesty set off from Buckingham Palace. On her way to the Abbey she wore the George IV State Diadem, the slim crown that she wears on postage stamps. This also incorporates national symbols, in the form of roses, shamrocks and thistles, and contains 1,333 diamonds. 14 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach, pulled by grey geldings named Cunningham, Tovey, Noah, Tedder, Eisenhower, Snow White, Tipperary and McCreery. It would be the last outing for this spectacular vehicle until the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. 15 Befitting a former Commander in the Royal Navy, The Duke of Edinburgh wore his full-dress Naval uniform for the occasion, with the addition of a coronet and robe during the ceremony itself. 16 The start of a new Elizabethan age was not the only development to stir patriotic hearts on June 2, 1953.

That morning it was announced that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay had reached the summit of Mount Everest. Maid of honour Lady Moyra recalls: "We all cheered and I cried so much that the lady from Elizabeth Arden had to do my mascara again." 17 The Daily Express captured the mood of the nation best, with its now famous headline: "All this - and Everest too!" 18 Inside the Abbey, a congregation of more than 8,000, representing 129 nations and territories, waited for the ceremony to begin at 11.15am. Space was so tight that each guest had no more than 18 inches of room to sit in. 19 Comprising church leaders, senior politicians, members of the royal household and high-ranking military figures, the Sovereign's procession was some 250 strong as it entered the Abbey. 20 The service was taken by the Archbishop of canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher. England's senior churchman had performed this duty since the Norman conquest but, in 1953, the Moderator of the church of Scotland also took part - the first time another church had been represented.

Dressmakers working in Hartnell's salon watch as the Queen's Coronation dress is shipped away 21 Another first was the presence of BBC television cameras inside the Abbey to relay the spectacle to the world. the decision to allow this was a controversial one: the prime Minister, Winston churchill, had been against it but the young Queen overruled him with a reminder that it was she who was being crowned, not the cabinet. 22 Even so, the TV crew were bound by a tight set of rules. close-ups were forbidden, cameramen were chosen for their lightness of build (particularly those placed in the organ loft) and the anointing of the Monarch with holy oil was held to be too sacred to be photographed at all. 23 All stocks of anointing oil had been destroyed in the blitz and the company that had made it no longer existed. luckily the recipe - comprising oils of orange, roses, cinnamon, musk and ambergris - had survived. 24 prince charles, then aged four, became the first child to witness a parent's coronation, receiving a special hand-painted invitation. princess Anne, who was then two, was considered too young to attend.

25 The service began with Her Majesty processing from the west end of the Abbey through the nave and choir, to the sound of Psalm 122 ("I was glad") in the setting by Sir Hubert Parry. 26 Written for the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902, Parry's version incorporates the cries of Vivat Regina! (Long live the Queen!) with which the boys of Westminster School traditionally acclaim the Sovereign. 27 Taking the Coronation oath, the Queen swore to "maintain and preserve... the doctrine, worship, discipline, and Government of the Church of England," and to "Govern the peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon... according to their respective laws and customs". 28 As Her Majesty took her seat in the Coronation Chair and the Archbishop anointed her with holy oil, the choir sang the Coronation anthem Handel's Zadok the Priest. Composed for the Coronation of George II in 1727, the setting has been used in every British coronation since. that date.

29 The Coronation Chair was made for King Edward I in 1300. It was designed to enclose the Stone of Scone - the sacred stone on which Kings of Scotland were crowned, and which Edward had captured in battle. 30 Apart from two brief interruptions (for the investiture of Oliver Cromwell and for safekeeping during the Second World War) the Chair and the Stone remained together in the Abbey for almost 700 years, until the Stone was returned to Scotland in 1996. The Coronation Chair has recently been restored and will go on display in Westminster Abbey from the beginning of next month. 31 The Coronation Shift, the plain linen garment worn for the anointing, was originally made with hooks and eyes at the back. It was the Marquess of Cholmondeley's ceremonial duty to do this up but the fastenings proved too much for the elderly aristocrat during rehearsals, so the garment had to be redesigned with poppers.

32 As the Queen sat in the Coronation Chair, the Archbishop of Canterbury presented her with the Regalia: the Orb, the Sceptre (symbolising power), the Rod with the Dove (symbolising justice and mercy) and the Coronation Ring. Finally, Archbishop Fisher placed St Edward's Crown on the Queen's head. 33 Made in 1661, St Edward's Crown is solid gold and weighs four pounds and 12 ounces (2.1kg). It was remade from an earlier crown and some experts believe that the lower part was worn by Edward the Confessor. 34 The Orb, also made in 1661, is the most important piece of Regalia after the crown. It is a globe of gold surrounded by a cross and girdled with a band of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and pearls, with a large amethyst at the top. 35 The Coronation Ring, often called "the Wedding Ring of England" was worn by the Queen on the fourth finger of her right hand.

The ring was created for the Coronation of William IV in 1831, at a cost of £157, and takes the form of a sapphire surmounted by a cross of rubies and diamonds. 36 The ring has been worn at every subsequent Coronation save that of Queen Victoria. It could not be reduced sufficiently to fit the 18-year-old Victoria's tiny fingers so a new Coronation Ring was made by the royal goldsmiths, who intended it for the Queen's little finger. Unfortunately, the then Archbishop of Canterbury forced it on to Victoria's ring finger, causing her considerable pain. 37 After the crown had been placed on her head, the Queen left the Coronation Chair and moved to the throne, in full sight of the whole congregation. By tradition, this is the moment when the Sovereign takes possession of the kingdom. 38 Then, after the Archbishop gave the blessing, the Queen withdrew to St Edward's Chapel. There she put on a robe of purple velvet and exchanged St Edward's Crown for the Imperial State Crown before finally processing through the Abbey to the annexe at the west end.

39The Queen's Coronation service concluded at 2pm, almost three hours after it had begun, at 11.15 that morning. 40 An estimated 27 million people in Britain watched the ceremony on television, presented by the BBC's Richard Dimbleby (father of Jonathan and David), with a further 11 million listening on the radio. Television sets were still a rarity in 1953 - many viewers bought their first for the occasion, inviting neighbours round to share it. The front page of the Daily Express on June 2, 1953 Unseasonal weather was no match for the patriotic fervour of the London crowd, estimated at three million 41 The world was watching too. Some 500 photographers and 2,000 journalists from 92 nations lined the Coronation route - among them a 23-year-old Washington-based photojournalist named Jacqueline Bouvier - later famous as US First Lady Jackie Kennedy. 42 Another unlikely celebrity to witness the Coronation was future Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, then a nine-year-old choirboy at Westminster Abbey.

43 The four-and-a-half mile return route to Buckingham Palace was designed to give the crowds the best possible chance to see their new Queen. The procession of 16,000 participants, marching 10 abreast, stretched for two miles and took two hours to pass by. 44 During her return journey the Queen wore the Imperial State Crown, which contains four pearls traditionally said to have been Elizabeth I's earrings. She also wore the newly made Purple Robe of Estate, edged with ermine and embroidered with gold wheat ears and olive branches (representing another 3,500 hours of work for seamstresses at the Royal School of Needlework). 45 The Coronation was a military as well as a royal spectacle, involving 3,600 servicemen from the Royal Navy, 16,100 from the Army and 7,000 from the RAF, plus 2,500 from the Commonwealth and colonies. There was a huge police presence too, with 7,000 officers from provincial forces drafted in to assist the Metropolitan Police. 46 All the maids of honour had phials of smelling salts sewn into their gloves, in case they felt faint.

Their job done with no alarms, they shook hands with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Unfortunately he squeezed the hand of lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill rather too firmly, breaking the phial and releasing a cloud of ammonia. 47 Meat was still rationed in 1953 but the Ministry of Food granted applications to roast oxen if the applicant could prove this was a local tradition on Coronation days. Accordingly, an ox was placed on the spit for the estate workers at Blenheim Palace, home of maid of honour Lady Rosemary. 48 The smiling Queen Sãlote of Tonga won the hearts and acclaim of the waiting crowds as she remained undaunted by the rain throughout the long procession, refusing to raise the roof of her carriage for protection. 49 Queen Elizabeth appeared with her family on the balcony of the palace, still wearing the Imperial State Crown and the royal robes, to greet the cheering crowds.

The throng continued to build - including several of the maids of honour who had slipped out of the palace - all chanting: "We want the queen." Her Majesty appeared again on the balcony at 9.45pm to switch on illuminations that stretched down The Mall, through Admiralty Arch and across Trafalgar Square to The National Gallery. 50 The RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace was nearly cancelled because of the poor weather but after a short delay 144 Gloster Meteors of the RAF and 24 North American Sabres of the Royal Canadian Air Force flew south to north across The Mall at 1,200ft. 51 Feeding the thousands of official guests was quite a challenge: their lunch had to be prepared in advance and acceptable to palates from all over the world. Florist Constance Spry, who also helped with floral arrangements on the day, proposed a recipe of cold chicken in a curry cream sauce and a salad of rice, green peas and mixed herbs. Her recipe won the approval of the Minister of Works, and "Coronation chicken" had been invented.

52 The banquet, served in Westminster Hall, comprised five courses: soup, salmon, grilled steak with cocotte potatoes and truffle salad, Coronation chicken and soufflé. 53 Many official photographs were taken in Buckingham Palace after the Coronation but perhaps the most memorable are those by Cecil Beaton. For his defining image he posed the Queen in front of a backdrop depicting Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey. 54 The official artist for the Coronation was Polish-born Feliks Topolski (1907-1989). He was commissioned to produce a giant painting to commemorate the occasion and be displayed along the Lower Corridor in Buckingham Palace. The finished work comprises 14 sections and is nearly 100ft long. 55 The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made their sixth and final appearance on the palace balcony at midnight, to the delight of an undiminished crowd. The day ended with fireworks launched from Victoria Embankment. 56 The Government declared Tuesday June 2 a public holiday but it was back to work on the following day - unlike the four days off that Britain enjoyed for William and Kate's wedding.

57 As a token of thanks, each of the maids of honour received a commemorative brooch with "EIIR" in the Queen's handwriting, picked out with diamonds. 58 The Queen will mark the 60th anniversary of her Coronation with a special service at Westminster Abbey on June 4, before attending a celebratory lunch with her family. Westminster Abbey will host a Coronation Anniversary Concert on June 13, featuring Coronation music by Purcell, Handel and Parry. 59 From July 11 to 14 there will be a Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace, with Katherine Jenkins, Russell Watson and Katie Melua performing (see festival.com). One notable absentee might be the Duchess of Cambridge - the concert coincides with the due date of the next royal heir. 60 The BBC has restored and remastered the original TV coverage and will re-broadcast the full seven 60 hours, starting at the original time of 10.15am, on BBC Parliament next Sunday, June 2. Related articles

Question: Which Archbishop of Canterbury crowned Elizabeth II?
Answer: GEOFFREY FISHER